Healthy Breath Menu

Posted in Oral Health

When it comes to food causes for bad breath, it could be sulfur compounds from garlic and onion that are expelled when you exhale which create bad breath. According to Lisa Harper Mallonee, MPH, RD, associate professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry, “Garlic and onions top the list when it comes to halitosis.” Perhaps, it is coffee and alcohol which trigger bad bacteria growth and inhibit saliva flow, creating the environment for foul smells in your mouth. Alternatively, orange juice, meats, and soda pop have been known to foster bad breath.  The good news is that there are a number of bad breath remedies that can make a difference. The right food selections are one of those remedies.   Check out tips for a fresh breath menu!

1. Consider a vitamin C fortified breakfast filled with fruits which can defy bad bacteria in the mouth that fosters foul odor. In fact, every crunch of a raw fruit helps to loosen trapped food debris responsible for bad breath. Add to this vitamin C rich eggs and milk, you’ve got a fresh breath  breakfast.

2. Make certain you have your water jugs ready or the day to flush out bad bacteria, while increasing saliva production to dissolve plaque causing substances responsible for bad breath and tooth decay.

3. Prepare a platter of vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as red bell pepper and broccoli, to deter a bacterial environment in your mouth. The abrasiveness of vegetables will also help to free up trapped food debris.

4. For dinner, trickle herbs and spices on your odor causing meats. Cloves, anise, fennel seeds, and parsley seem to have a freshening effect on bad breath. Alternatively, select vitamin C  rich sea food, such as salmon.

5. Try yogurt desserts. To mitigate odorous sulfide compounds in food, twice daily delight in 3 ounces of sugar free yogurt that contains probiotics with streptococci and lactobacilli- good bacteria to neutralize the bad bacteria.

Chew sugarless gum! Sweetened sugarless gum containing xylitol helps to dislodge food debris from the teeth, gums, and tongue. Chewing gum also stimulates saliva flow which can wash away food particles, while neutralizing foul smelling bacterial agents.

If you are interested in general dentistry or cosmetic dentistry, contact Austin Dental Spa.